A Pretty Smile
by Alyss Mainwaring
Summary: 30 Day OTP Challenge. Be forewarned, this is not your typical pairing. Valka is bored and ends up in the forge.
1. A Pretty Smile

**Title** : A Pretty Smile

 **Summary** : Valka wandered into the forge bored because the two people she knows most are there. She gains a glimpse of their lives prewar. Gobber sees that she doesn't feel as though she belongs and does what he can to rectify the issue.

 **Prompt** : On a Date

 **Word Count:** 1,119

* * *

She watched the blacksmith merrily sung whilst he worked. Next to him Hiccup worked on sharpening an axe.

"Ah, Valka! Rare to be seeing you down here," He commented. He stood up properly and quickly exchanged the working tool for the normal hook he had for an arm. "What can I be helping you with?"

"Nothing in particular. I don't need a weapon sharpened, just walked down for the company," she explained with a smile.

"Good, because then I would have sent you to that son of yours!" Gobber said. "Ah Grump! You've let the fire go down again?! I'll light it this time. Wouldn't want your lazy ass to set it on fire again, would we?"

Valka watched entertained as Grump struggled to spin himself using only his back legs in an attempt to get to the fire before Gobber. He wasn't fast enough however and the one legged man got the fire and managed to get the flames up to a manageable standard again. He spun back around to continue their conversation just as Grump lit the fire for him.

Without even looking up from what he was sharpening, Hiccup pulled a rope and water poured all over the various burning objects around the fire.

"Were any of those important?" Valka asked hesitantly.

Gobber shook his head. "No. After the important stuff burnt for a while we realised that we had to leave it somewhere else, however…" he trailed off looking down. Valka came inside properly and peered down beside him.

"Isn't that one of the rods from Toothless' saddle?" she asked. Gobber's' eyes widened and he make a killing motion.

"What?" she asked, really confused. "It looked similar but can't be it because it wouldn't have been left there, right?"

Hiccup looked up at the commotion and turned pale (-er) at the sight of the sight of the rod that was bright red now. "Is that…" He hesitated to ask.

"Uh, yes. It is," Gobber confirmed.

Hiccup jumped up and pulled it out with his bare hands. Two seconds later it was thrown back into the air again as he realised how much of a stupid decision that had been. It landed on one of his drawings which in itself managed to catch fire almost at once. It was Gobber this time that put the fire out. Hiccup sighed. There went that concept drawing.

"Was that important?" Gobber asked jovially. Hiccup growled and stalked into one of the back rooms of the forge.

"Is he upset?" Valka asked confused.

"Nah. He'll get over it… Soon… I hope… Anyway, any other reason for you to grace us here?"

"I was bored wandering around. There is much to do here, but until I find out where I fit, there isn't anything for me really."

"And that big beastie of your's doesn't help that matter either?" Gobber said. Valka paused to work out what he was saying before her face lit up.

"Did you just call Cloudjumper a big beastie?" she asked Gobber, who had his chest puffed out in pride at getting her to smile. It was such a pretty smile. Then he realised what he had said, and then what she had said.

"Uh, no?"

"It's ok. I wont tell if you don't," she offered cheakilly. Gobber grinned in retun.

"Do you mind if I just do a little saddle work whilst you're here?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I'd be interested to watch you do it actually. Some of the saddles I've seen are quite complex."

"That'd be your son's work then. He works on those ones. I just stick to the normal dragons, not unlike lazy bum in the corner over there," he said and scratched behind Grump's ear with his hook. After the dragon had had enough for the moment he switched his hook for an easily maneuverable charcoal pencil. As she watched he threw a piece of leather over a measuring wood and begun drawing. She watched this for a moment before looking around some more.

"Remember the first time we met?" Valka said suddenly, now peering at the latest blueprints Gobber had in front of his designing space.

"And when it was interrupted by Stoick grabbing me in a head lock and saying 'that's my wife you're talking to, you one legged bastard'," Gobber returned without looking around. She could hear the grin in his voice.

"I had really forgotten that he had said that line." Her eyes grew dark, contemplating many thing, most of which weren't happy. Gobber sighed looking at her. She had changed whilst she had been away, but was still the same. Her smile lit up everywhere and the way she was able to calm everyone down in the midst of conflict…

"Let me take you somewhere?" he suddenly blurted out. Valka spun around to face him and tilted her head a lot like Cloudjumper.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Let me take you somewhere. Just the two of us to escape all of this for a moment."

In the background, somewhere still within earshot obviously, Hiccup chocked on nothing in particular.

"When?"

"Well, when are you free?" Gobber washed his remaining hand to the best of his ability before changing to a clean hook.

"I don't have anything to do here," Valka reminded him and drifted off again into another fit of remembrance. Gobber frowned. He was attempting to get her to stop doing that and in the process caused it.

"Great. Hiccup, mind the fort?" he called before sending a grin at Valka and walking out.

* * *

An hour later Astrid walked into the forge expecting to have to pull her boyfriend away from the current thing he was building. Instead she found him holding an axe that had been sharpened beyond use. She peered into his face and saw that he was seeing nothing in shock. Sighing, she took the axe off him, meeting no resistance and dumped the closest bucket of water over him.

"Astrid! When did you get here?" he said, still looking shell shocked.

"Unfortunately too late to save that axe. You know you're now going to have to make another one, right?" Hiccup looked at the axe and swore.

"What caused you to be so shocked? You look as though you have seen one of the Valkyries with your own two eyes."

"Gobber just asked Mum out on a date," Hiccup stuttered out. Astrid spun around fast and knocked one of his hands with the spikes on her skirt. Her boyfriend pulled away quickly and found another bucket of water to place his now bleeding hand in.

"Are you serious?" she asked. Hiccup nodded. "Wow… wait, isn't that a rod from Toothless' saddle?"

* * *

 **I didn't realise until I started writing that it's really hard to write Gobber successfully… well at least for me it is. Tell me how I went here?**

 **OTP Challenge found from _bookloverforever2002_ who is writing amazing Hiccstids. I did adapt some of the prompts to fit more because I like to have things a little more historically accurate (not majorly, but just a little).**

 **Alyss Mainwaring**


	2. Sand Picnics

_**Title:**_ **Sand Picnics**

 _ **Summery:**_ **Valka realises that it is probably a good time to let go of the past and just start living the second opportunity she has been given**

 _ **Prompt:**_ **Holding Hands**

 _ **Word Count:**_ **1,112**

* * *

She watched him arrive on Grump with a smile. Every time she saw him she was amazing that the dragon was able to get off the ground and yet still look comfortable in doing so. With a loud crash the two made it down to earth in front of her house. That was one thing that hadn't changed thankfully. Gobber still liked to make his presence known.

"Evening, Valka," he called as he got off his dragon. As soon as he did so the dragon got up and started eating the flowers that Valka had only planted two days ago. Her eyes flickered over to it, and Gobber must have caught something in her expression because he spun around.

"Grump! Don't eat the pretty lady's flowers!" he cried and walked over. Once there he used his hook and moved the gentle giant's head away from the flowers. "I'm so sorry about that."

"It's ok," Valka laughed. "I chose those flowers because whilst they aren't deadly to dragons, they certainly aren't enticing. That and they look pretty. I guess I was wrong in that however as now they are eaten."

"Nah, Grump likes eating everything in sight. It's how I found him, ya know."

Valka tilted her head questioningly. She had never heard the story of how Gobber had come across the dragon as she had assumed that he had found him the same way as most of the other dragons before she came.

"Come with me down to a tiny, peaceful beach I know and I'll tell you," he offered with a grin. She hesitated for a second. Technically she wasn't married anymore and so to be seen going off with a man where there wasn't anyone to watch would be scandalous. At the same time she could say that they were looking after a wild dragon Gobber noticed needed help with it's teeth and he asked her to come along to pacify it.

Or she could not worry about lies, about excuses, about having to please anyone, and just go, relax and have fun with an old friend.

"Of course," she responded and quickly grabbed her stick from where it stood just inside the door of her house.

* * *

The flight down the the beach wasn't the shortest trip she had ever taken, but at the same time it wasn't the longest. Assuming that Gobber hadn't wanted them to be found, she had expected it to take longer, and it may have been that long, but with his jokes she didn't notice the time pass at all.

"That was surprisingly short," she commented, getting off Couldjumper. Gobber nodded bashfully. Hiccup would know the spot they were in but he doubted that anyone else would have. It was a beach that would have been uninhabited until the acceptance of dragons, and even then there was no reason why majority of the people would use it.

"Where are we?"

"Just somewhere I found whilst flying around. No one goes here really," Gobber explained. He got off Grump and began pulling a basket down. As he was doing so, Valka walked around exploring the small beach.

"There's a cave here," she called out to him.

"I know. That's why I was still planning on asking you if you wanted to come here. I cooked something earlier today and then was going to come find you. If the weather turned horrible I figured at least there was a cave and food."

"And you planned on leaving Hiccup all by himself in the forge?"

"Shh. He thinks I didn't think any of this through. I taught him what he knows, but I didn't teach him everything I know!" Gobber responded. Valka turned around and laughed at him.

"So what did you plan for us to do here? Considering you planned everything and all."

"I just wanted an afternoon away from everything and figured that you would want it as well. This way, we both get what we want and don't have to do it alone!"

"But I have Cloudjumper with me?" she mentioned and together they begun to set up for a small campfire on the beach to warm up the food he had brought.

At once his face fell and Valka wished she could take back what she had just said.

"I-"

"You're-"

They both spoke at once.

"You go first," Valka murmured.

"I… uh… You're so much like Hiccup, you know. He'd be happy if the world just boiled down to him and that night fury of his," Gobber said and shifted awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I do appreciate this all. And shouldn't it be Hiccup is like me? Anyway, I don't think he would be really happy unless Astrid went with him."

Silence fell again as she drifted off to remember Stoick.

"You know, he would have been proud. This village is safe and thriving, Hiccup is happy and if he doesn't get with Astrid sooner rather than later Stoick would have done it for them himself. But there is one thing I don't think he would have appreciated; you acting all sad like this. He has gone to Valhalla. Is there a greater reward possible? He is one of the Einherjar," Gobber said.

Valka looked down and away from him. To die in battle was one thing, but to die protecting those you loved was something that not even she could aspire to. The respect and love she felt for Stoick was still there but perhaps she could let go of him to the halls of Asgard. Perhaps it was time for her to move on and realise that even though there was no hope of seeing him again until after death, something which had kept her going during those twenty years, they had managed to sing their song one last time. For a moment they had been a family.

Gobber could see her debating this all in a rare moment of uncertainty that she wouldn't have shown anyone else. Slowly, as to not startle her, he reached out with his remaining hand and held her small one within it. He would be there for her, no matter what she decided.

* * *

Back in the town, Hiccup and Astrid were slowing walking through the middle holding hands. There was the normal rush around town as people settled in for the bitter night that was sure to follow. Even though people were walking around with places to go, there was still a sleepiness that had taken over.

Well that was until someone rushed up to him asking for him to sharpen his axe as no one had known where Gobber had gone.

* * *

 **So I am writing (at least the beginning of this story) before I start my first French class in roughly 3 1/2 years. I am nervous but have been preparing by muttering random French words and attempting to say things. I was seriously surprised at the semi-coherent sentences that I was able to get out. If there is a point halfway through this story where nothing makes sense anymore in terms of the English language and my word order is messed up, don't blame me. The other half of the day I will be spending in the nice familiarity of Classical Greek.**

 **There will be things in these oneshots that I am aiming to have appear across all of them. It probably will be fairly obvious (at least the first one will), but it just adds an extra challenge and at the same time makes it easier because if I get stuck I add in one of those.**

 **And I'm slightly more comfortable in writing Gobber today. I think it will just be a day to day thing and will be a while before I'm fully comfortable with it all.**

 **Is there a technical term for the stick?**

 **Aly**


	3. Heart Palpitations

**_Title:_ Heart Palpitations**

 ** _Summery:_ The second half of their date. Last of this small arc.**

 ** _Prompt:_ Kissing**

 ** _Word Count:_ 1,292**

* * *

Valka looked into Gobber's eyes and laughed as Gobber swung her around to imaginary music. Slightly earlier on, after the moment where he had comforted her, Gobber had pulled out salmon and bread for them to eat.

"I'm sorry that it isn't anything special," he murmured, still unsure of where they were standing.

"It's fine, really. Cooked like this is something I didn't have the opportunity for in the Sanctuary most of the time. There were too many dragons attempting to give me regurgitated things," she said with a laugh. At once the awkwardness that existed was gone.

"I'm thankful that Grump doesn't do that to me! I've seen Toothless do it enough times and Hiccup eat it to appease the beastie that I really don't want to try. This is all home cook, which is why it isn't anything more exciting. I can't do more exciting than this. I'd need to pack an extra pair of skivvies then."

Valka let out a full bellied laugh and from behind them they hear Cloudjumper do something similar. "I can feel my heart palpitate now!" she cried jovially.

"I love a woman who is both pretty and can use big words!" Gobber said loudly and they both fell over laughing. Neither of them realised what he had just said.

When they had sat up again, Gobber placed the fish over the fire properly and looked up into her eyes. They glowed so brightly, he wouldn't have needed a torch in the dark. He just needed them to stay with him for the rest of his life. The smile lit up his world and forced a smile out of him, not that that had ever been hard to do, but now his smiles felt different. They felt larger. It was as though his own smiles could stop his enemies where they stood-

 _Bad train of thought!_ He scolded himself and his smile fell slightly. _She is the ex-chief's wife._

Valka watched his facial expressions change rapidly from happiness to disgust and wondered what she had done or said to have caused it.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently. Gobber nodded.

"It's just… I lost my best friend, you know… I know you lost your husband but sometimes I see Stoick in Hiccup and can't help but feel sad at the lost time. I'm such a hypocrite in telling you to move on, when I haven't myself," he said. The whole time he was shrugging and shifting sideways. Valka could tell that he had been hiding how he had felt over the death of Stoick.

"I'll help you through it on one condition," she offered, surprising herself. He looked up at her from the food that was now cooked.

"Huh?"

"You help me as well. Together we can be happy. We proved it!"

"Well then. Let us eat in toast of this new partnership!" he said, pushing away the sadness and hiding the bitter guilt of how he truly felt.

* * *

After the food the two vikings sat around the fire for a while talking comfortable. After a while, things grew more comfortable and Valka ended up sitting next to Gobber leaning against Grump. The friendly dragon warmed up his inners and with the pleasant atmosphere all around, Valka was nearly falling asleep.

"Are you falling asleep on me?!" Gobber cried, laughing. "Are me stories that bad to listen to?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just this is the first time in quite a while where I don't have to worry about the next attack, about how Hiccup is going, about-"

"Say no more. Maybe if you were moving around more you wouldn't be so sleepy!"

Gobber reached down and gently pulled her to her feet. With his good hand he laced her fingers with his and gently wrapped his hook around her waist. He then started spinning them around whilst he sung a sea ditty that had no intelligible words to it.

 _"Well, when I was a wee lad_  
 _I always knew what I wanted!_  
 _It was a bright pink dragon,_  
 _Just the thing to be granted!_  
 _One day when I was wondering_  
 _Just when my ears would ring,_

 _"I said to meself:_  
 _Jump up and down on the spot_  
 _Just as though the ground's getting hot._  
 _Fall against the tree, my dear,_  
 _And you will always be near!"_

Valka, recognising the song, started laughing and joining in when she had enough breath. Although it wasn't often, she was still able to join him in with the rhyming and the most important words, not that it made sense anyway.

Slowly the words coming out of Gobber's mouth became more and more warbled and they ended up just spinning in circles as fast as they could. She found herself looking into his eyes, just as he looked into hers. Suddenly she tripped over some of the sand that they had kicked up and she fell, bringing Gobber down with her. It was only his fast reaction time that spared her from getting a hook lodged in her stomach.

"I'm so sorry!" she managed to get out through laughter. Gobber just laughed even harder.

* * *

Together they flew towards Valka's house. As it was the cheif's house it was all the way at the top of the hill and Gobber constantly made jokes about how he didn't think Grump could fly that far up hill. They waved to the few people still up and about and saw Hiccup walking Astrid back to hers.

Grump's landing wasn't as smooth as Cloudjumper's or even as Stoick's rumblehorn's would have been, but at the same time Valka realised it was charming all the same.

The two talking until the reach right outside the door where they stood, a slight awkwardness falling upon them. Now that the night was at it's conclusion, neither wanted to end it first.

Slowly he lent in and kissed her.

It was a friendly kiss on the cheek as a goodbye, but there was a promise of something more.

* * *

Hiccup rounded the last corner to approach his house. It had been a long day, made even longer by the fact that he was forced to work in the forge for most of it whilst Toothless sorted out the few dragon arguments that had evolved. He had finally insisted on Astrid going back to her house as the time had gotten late. She naturally refused unless Hiccup himself also went to his. He did so with a self promise to get up early to finish what he hadn't managed to complete. Judging by the fact that he hadn't run into Toothless yet, it was fairly safe to assume that the dragon was either still working or had given up as well and retired to bed.

At that time of night it wasn't unusual to run into his mother. She normally went on a nightly flight to think and to make sure the dragons were alright. The strange thing was Gobber standing outside of his house and his mother bright red in the face. Hiccup sighed and started walking noiser jsut in case.

"Hiccup!" Valka greeted, sounding surprised. "I thought you had gone to bed early."

"Nah. There were still things to finish at the forge cause someone left me to do it all," He responded and walked past Gobber. The older man gave him a friendly slap on the back in greeting, sending him forwards a few extra paces.

"Well, I'm off to bed. See you tomorrow, Valka. Bright and early, Hiccup!" Gobber said and walked down the path, singing. Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

* * *

 _I've got my axe and I've got my mace, and I love my wife with the ugly face! I'm a Viking through and through!_

* * *

 **Got you for a second there, didn't I?**

 **I have been appreciating the specificity of the foreign languages that I have been learning. Therefore I now detest the ambiguity of the English language. Honestly. There were so many sentence I wrote and then was like 'no. Fix that. No one other than me will understand what you mean.' And then I would fix it and I' fairly certain that I have quite possibly made it way worse…**

 **I also apologise for the OOC nature of practically everyone here. I love Gobber and Valka but can't write them. Practice makes perfect? Is there a ship name for the two of them? Should there be?**

 **And we wont mention the song Gobber sings. It wasn't my best work. *hides head in shame***

 **Oh well. Have at it.**

 **The fluff is slowly getting larger and larger!**

 **Aly**


End file.
